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first time setup advice

T

turbo90celica

Hello everyone i just purchased some ghost pepper and carolina reaper seeds and im looking to get into getting started with a hydroponic setup. I would like to start off with something small maybe a DIY 5 gallon bucket deep water culture setups or even smaller if possible. Im interested in led lighting but im confused about the spectrums and such. What spectums do i need? Is their a fairly cheap led lighting option? Also does the temp the setup is in matter? Should i have some type of cabinet or something? Is their any type of standards for all of this. Some guidance is greatly appreciated.
 
If you get the Mars Hydro Reflector series (green body) and a U.S. Customer, you get 5W led chip upgrade free. I'd personally get nothing less than a 450W.
 
turbo90celica said:
What spectums do i need?
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Simplify.  Don't worry about the spectrum (except for LED which can be narrow spectrum).  Pot growers, and thus lamp suppliers, are fixated on spectrum, but peppers have a very different growth profile from cannabis.  Anything with a wide spectrum will do nicely. LED may be nice but will be your most expensive option.
 
Also, check the used market for lights.  You local grow / hydroponics store may have some.  You can save a good 50%.
 
turbo90celica said:
Has anyone here grown pepers in a reptile terrarium??
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Hell no.  A terrarium is just a cubical pot without drainage holes. 
 
 
If you're using a closed recirculating system, though, it may be okay.  Will it hold water?  Is it strong?  Terrariums aren't aquariums.
 
DMF said:
 LED may be nice but will be your most expensive option.
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I'm not sure that is true any more.  The Mars Hydro units are pretty inexpensive these days and have a good reputation.  The 300w unit (actual current usage 132w) costs about the same as a 2' four tube T5HO 96 watt unit.
 
Really?  Well it's about time.  I'll have to check it out.  Thanks.
 
 
 
 
Anyone else notice the lifespan of wisdom shrinking?
 
  Choose a light that you can switch back and fourth between veg mode and bloom mode. My Mars Hydro has the switches so that when I am ready for the plant to start throwing pods I switch to bloom mode. I use the veg mode for seedlings and until the plant matures and is ready for pods.
 
SvtCobra said:
  Choose a light that you can switch back and fourth between veg mode and bloom mode. My Mars Hydro has the switches so that when I am ready for the plant to start throwing pods I switch to bloom mode. I use the veg mode for seedlings and until the plant matures and is ready for pods.
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Unless you are growing pot the veg mode/bloom mode switching is kind of useless. The Mars Hydro was designed for pot growers in mind since that particular plant needs the different light spectrum(s) to promote vegetative growth or to promote the plant to flower. Peppers on the other hand are not that spectrum specific.
 
RedNeck Spysee Chilez said:
Unless you are growing pot the veg mode/bloom mode switching is kind of useless. The Mars Hydro was designed for pot growers in mind since that particular plant needs the different light spectrum(s) to promote vegetative growth or to promote the plant to flower. Peppers on the other hand are not that spectrum specific.
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Your right peppers are not that color specific. And technically speaking what light is not designed with pot growers in mind? The answer is 0. They don't design these lights for people growing lettuce or peppers for that matter. However I have grown multiple plants from seed using LED grow lights and I do notice that when I have the bloom switch on the plant does open up more flowers and buds. Vs when I just have the grow switch on. Could this simply be because of a higher output with both switches on? Possibly. There could be a million reasons why it blooms with both switches on. I still stand by original post that it's nice to have a switch for both modes of growth. That way the your not continuously cutting off flowers when you want the plant to be in growth mode and not bloom mode
 
SvtCobra said:
Your right peppers are not that color specific. And technically speaking what light is not designed with pot growers in mind? The answer is 0. They don't design these lights for people growing lettuce or peppers for that matter. However I have grown multiple plants from seed using LED grow lights and I do notice that when I have the bloom switch on the plant does open up more flowers and buds. Vs when I just have the grow switch on. Could this simply be because of a higher output with both switches on? Possibly. There could be a million reasons why it blooms with both switches on. I still stand by original post that it's nice to have a switch for both modes of growth. That way the your not continuously cutting off flowers when you want the plant to be in growth mode and not bloom mode
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I'm far from a scientist BUT I have read numerous papers on Capsicums specifically and their response to the various wavelengths of light and how the plant responds both in vegetative growth and flowering/fruit production. The ONLY difference that was noted was that plants grown under strong blue lights produce more compact and bushy plants. All conclusions were that under controlled grow outs, regardless of them being grown in the 400-450 nm or being grown in the 600-660 nm range or a combination of the two that there was no significant difference aside from the plants grown under strong blue lights (the afore mentioned compact bushy plants). Cheerz
 
RedNeck Spysee Chilez said:
 
I'm far from a scientist BUT I have read numerous papers on Capsicums specifically and their response to the various wavelengths of light and how the plant responds both in vegetative growth and flowering/fruit production. The ONLY difference that was noted was that plants grown under strong blue lights produce more compact and bushy plants. All conclusions were that under controlled grow outs, regardless of them being grown in the 400-450 nm or being grown in the 600-660 nm range or a combination of the two that there was no significant difference aside from the plants grown under strong blue lights (the afore mentioned compact bushy plants). Cheerz
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   I would have to agree that its probably true. And that's why I like having the switch. Because when I have just the veg switch on the light produces 75% Blue waves and shuts down the majority of the red lights. So I get a nice bushy pepper plant which I prefer to a tall spindly pepper tree that cannot support the weight of its fruit during production and ends up snapping branches and limbs off. Where as with a light that has no controls or switches you do not have the option to make the light produce more blue's than reds. You simply have all the lights illuminated at all times with no control over the light. If you could see my peppers you would see that they are nice bushes, and that is all due to proper lighting as well as proper topping and trimming of the plants in their youth. I am just saying that it's nice for the user to have more control over the light. So when recommending lighting to other pepper lover's I am going to give them the best advice as to what I have actually tested and is tried and true. As I have tested LED's with and without lighting controls both putting out the same power and I did see a noticeable difference in growth and form in the same species of pepper both sown at the same time.
 
SvtCobra said:
   I would have to agree that its probably true. And that's why I like having the switch. Because when I have just the veg switch on the light produces 75% Blue waves and shuts down the majority of the red lights. So I get a nice bushy pepper plant which I prefer to a tall spindly pepper tree that cannot support the weight of its fruit during production and ends up snapping branches and limbs off. Where as with a light that has no controls or switches you do not have the option to make the light produce more blue's than reds. You simply have all the lights illuminated at all times with no control over the light. If you could see my peppers you would see that they are nice bushes, and that is all due to proper lighting as well as proper topping and trimming of the plants in their youth. I am just saying that it's nice for the user to have more control over the light. So when recommending lighting to other pepper lover's I am going to give them the best advice as to what I have actually tested and is tried and true. As I have tested LED's with and without lighting controls both putting out the same power and I did see a noticeable difference in growth and form in the same species of pepper both sown at the same time.
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yup and the veg switch will make the light less intense good for seedlings and young ones
 
 
@op if this is your 1st led get a mars hydro- u wont be disappointed (yes they are shitty chinese low efficiency panals but they grow plants well and are cheap)
 
as far as hydro goes if this is your 1st gardening experience i strongly suggest you stay away from hydro and just use soil- the benefits of hydro are only seen once a system is dialled in and if the grower doesnt screw it up and stunt the plants 
 
plus u will need good equipment(spendy) to accurately check PH ppm etc) and when deficiencies show up you wont know how to diagnose/fix
 
if is ur first time indoor go with
 
https://www.mars-hydro.com/3-3x-3-3x-5-11Grow-Tent--P2396.aspx
 
or if smaller https://www.mars-hydro.com/2-3x-2-35-3Grow-Tent-P2395.aspx
 
 
 
 
and 
 
https://www.mars-hydro.com/MARSII-400-P2382.aspx
 
 
or if u really want a bloom/veg switch
 
https://www.mars-hydro.com/Reflector-96-P2392.aspx
 
and use soil and rig some cheap pc fans to an old phone charger for extraction and circulation fans
 
you should be able to fruit 4 (indoor size) chillis with that set up
 
ofcourse if u have more cash and want a beast
 
https://www.mars-hydro.com/Reflector-192--P2394.aspx
 
would do well in the bigger tent
 
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